Five weeks from today we will be back on an airplane headed for the second part of our strange nomadic life that has us splitting our time on two very different halves of the globe each year. Lots of people have been asking us if we are excited to be returning to Nepal. Although we are, to be honest, we haven’t been spending much time yet dwelling on our impending departure; our goal in this new transient lifestyle has been to “be all where we are.” In fact, beyond securing our tickets, our attention has been more on our lives and ministry here. I just finished teaching a busy semester last week and still have a bit of grading to complete and then some “clean up” of the semester to have my courses in good shape for next year. After the holiday we will “change” hats and begin to ramp up for Nepal. One of our missionary friends has aptly noted, “life overseas is hard, but simple; life in America is easy but complicated.” Because of this all too true fact, you haven’t heard much from the Beines in the past six months. What follows is an attempt to bring you all up to speed on the “second half” of this strange life the Beines lead:
Dave kept busy with various projects. His primary responsibility for the past half year has been teaching anthropology, intercultural communications and linguistics at Moody Bible Institute, Spokane where he serves as Professor of World Missions. Dave loves the opportunity to infect students with the mission bug (we know firsthand the huge remaining need for others to join in the task) and to equip them for that task through these practical offerings. Dave also published a couple of academic articles within his specialty (medical anthropology) and presented another professional paper on HIV/AIDS in Nepal at the American Anthropological Association annual meetings in New Orleans in November. Beyond this he taught a course in applied linguistics at Western Seminary (Portland) and led several workshops on culture, generational differences, Bhutanese worldview, and development for Moody, Prairie Bible Institute, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and several local churches and organizations working with refugees. Beyond teaching, the highlight of his year was keeping up with our Bhutanese refugee friends here in Spokane and hanging out with his family.
Dave kept busy with various projects. His primary responsibility for the past half year has been teaching anthropology, intercultural communications and linguistics at Moody Bible Institute, Spokane where he serves as Professor of World Missions. Dave loves the opportunity to infect students with the mission bug (we know firsthand the huge remaining need for others to join in the task) and to equip them for that task through these practical offerings. Dave also published a couple of academic articles within his specialty (medical anthropology) and presented another professional paper on HIV/AIDS in Nepal at the American Anthropological Association annual meetings in New Orleans in November. Beyond this he taught a course in applied linguistics at Western Seminary (Portland) and led several workshops on culture, generational differences, Bhutanese worldview, and development for Moody, Prairie Bible Institute, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and several local churches and organizations working with refugees. Beyond teaching, the highlight of his year was keeping up with our Bhutanese refugee friends here in Spokane and hanging out with his family.
Musings from Kimberly
I am reminded this year of how little control we have over our circumstances in life. Not so many years ago, I was striving to keep my sanity while caring for my mother (as she faded away), caring for little ones in my home, keeping our home running smoothly while Dave traveled, keeping my medical license and contributing to our income through part-time work, and investing in many valuable relationships. Some nights I would drop into bed wondering if God would provide enough energy for the trials of the next day. AND HE ALWAYS PROVIDED AND SO OFTEN ASTONISHED ME. It was a time of great spiritual growth, seeing God be more through me than I could have ever imagined. Those were the years that taught me to embrace suffering (even though mine was small) and my eyes were opened to how often the Scriptures encourage us to expect and be prepared for suffering. These days, my life is utterly different. My mother is safely under the care of Christ, in heaven, free from all trials now. My boys are no longer little and they all go to school for six hours a day, five days per week. I was laid off in a massive closing of urgent care clinics in North Idaho. Since new clinics have begun to open, I have not been able to secure a job; I am told that because we go back to Nepal every year, I am not a favorable candidate for hiring. Furthermore, the fact that I chose missionary medicine before completing my board certification in a specialty is now playing against me in the job search. Some colleagues with whom I used to work have told me that they would love to hire me, but those with the power to hire have not yet been convinced. So it seems that my career has come to a screeching halt. I do hope it is temporary. I have spent many hours getting educated online, in hopes of moving into the area of preventive care should I find my niche in medicine again. With our nomadic lifestyle, I do not really have the option to complete board certification at this time in history, and I do not feel ready to embrace 80-90 hours per week again while my kids still fill my home with so much joy and so many opportunities for interaction, guidance, and simply enjoying one another. I cannot express what a joy it is to walk with my kids as they grow into the young men whom they are meant to be; what a fantastic journey of discovery! I am so pleased with the men they are becoming.
So, I am on a new spiritual journey. The trail is not nearly as arduous, but the exact focus of my destination is not so clear. Should I be striving harder to find work? Can I handle it, given the far more demanding job that Dave has, when I firmly believe that our boys need a parent on the home front? I have had wonderful opportunities to help some of my dear friends whose journeys are very challenging right now. I must admit, also, that I have experienced loneliness while everyone around me is so busily working. At times I have taken this phase as pure gift, a chance to dawdle, when most of my life journey has been a full out run. At times I have questioned if there is a place in this world for me to expend myself fully, using my skills and passion. In the end, it has been a season of surrender. I am learning to surrender (again) my hopes and dreams so that I can wait to see what the Master has for me. I also have this deep desire to mother some daughters. We have progressed with Home Study and hope to submit our paperwork to the Nepali government upon our return. Others have advised that this is futile. Yet, we have felt compelled to do it. In the end, I cannot see that I can pursue both a career and the unique opportunity to nurture some orphaned children, so I have expended energy pursuing both, not being sure of the course marked out for me. I trust that it will all become clear soon. I am truly open to the next adventure that God has for me; I wonder what it will be. In the meantime, there are some wonderful Beine “men” for me to support and enjoy, so I will close these musings with this wish for you: wherever you are on your journey, may you find friendship, purpose, passion and a love for your Maker that cannot be extinguished. God bless you, my friends.
Some thoughts from the teenager, Nick (Mom hopes he will use the word “pulchritudinous.”)
Hello everybody! Nick here! I just want to tell everybody Merry Christmas and Happy new year. I have had a very busy year full of all sorts of activities, both in school and out. I am playing the tenor saxophone in jazz band at my school. I really enjoy jazz band! I wake up an hour early on Wednesday and Friday to play in the jazz band. We just went to Eastern Washington University for a competition and our band did very well. I enjoyed running in cross country for Chase Middle School. I finished ninth in the city for 7th grade boys. Running was lots of fun. I also did a giant project for school on global warming. I enjoyed putting it together to present and I hope all you guys are not burning lots of unnecessary greenhouse gasses! Just kidding. Besides playing saxophone, I am also playing my guitar, and I enjoy messing around on our new keyboard. I like school over all, but the best part is having friends to hang out with. I am glad we have a two week break from school. I am planning to go skiing, which I enjoy very much. I also published a book about Nepal on lulu.com, which includes pictures and thoughts about our six month stay there. I am very much looking forward to going back to Nepal in January. I hope you all have a great Christmas and an excellent new year!
(Oh well, he did not use that word that we hear him use all the time; expand your vocabulary and look up “pulchritude.”)
A Note from Nate
Merry Christmas from Nate! Thank you to all of you who support us or pray for us. It was fun going to Nepal this year and I am glad that we are going back soon. I enjoy my friends there. I am going to a new school this year, in Spokane, and I am really enjoying it, even being on Student Council. I hope that your Christmas is as good as mine.
Contemplations from 9-year-old Jason, a.k.a. Jake
Merry Christmas to you all! I have enjoyed my friends and family this year. I am very glad for all of you who support us. This year, I was in a civic theatre play called “The Legends of Sleepy Hollow.” I enjoyed being Ichabod Crane. I have also enjoyed developing a better relationship with Jesus this year. These days, I like sports a lot. I can often be found outside re-enacting great football plays I have seen on the field. I am really enjoying school where I like my teacher and where I have many friends. Again, Merry Christmas!
Thoughts from 6-year-old Joshua
I do not like the toilets in Nepal. I think it has been a fun year. I love to play soccer with friends at school and to play football with big brother Nate at home. Actually, I love to interact with all of my brothers, and people say that I seem much older than six (sometimes). For some reason, people like to laugh when I am around; they call me Jovial Josh, and I like that. Merry Christmas!
Anastasia
No, we do not (yet) have a new daughter, but Anastasia (Ana) Carlson is about to become an honorary part of the Beine clan as she spends the next half year living with us and teaching our kids in Nepal. We introduced Ana in our last newsletter (let us know if you didn't get this) and Ana will gladly send you a prayer card (anastasia.j.carlson@gmail.com) so that you can pray for her. And for those interested, Ana is still seeking financial partners to help get her to Nepal (and back!). Write her at the above email address for more details.
And Finally, the holiday season is often a time for giving thanks: we give thanks first and foremost to our God for making a way for us to know and enjoy Him forever through the coming of his son, our Savior. Also we are thankful for family and friends who have spoken into our lives in so many ways throughout the past year. And certainly we give thanks for those of you who have partnered with us through prayer and/or financially during the past year. We are grateful! Our sending mission, Wycliffe Bible Translators, is also thankful for you, and has put together a short video which wonderfully expresses our thankfulness for your partnership in reaching the Bibleless peoples of the world with the greatest story ever told. To see this short clip either click on this link or copy and paste it into your Internet browser. http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/ChristmasGreeting.aspx. Please consider this Christmas Greeting one from our hearts to you as well.
Thanks for your interest in our lives!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and bon voyage from the Beines!
Wanna join us in our adventure financially?
Give online at:
http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/MissionaryMinistries.aspx
Or snail mail to:
W.B.T.
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862-8200
(Please earmark for Dave and Kimberly Beine
Or contact us personally at:
Email: david_beine@sil.org; kimberlybeine@gmail.com
Facebook: dave.beine; kimberly.beine
Facebook: dave.beine; kimberly.beine
Phone us (rings to us both in the USA and Nepal): 509-228-8973
